Only A Daydream Away
by LynLin
Summary: [AU] She likes chocolate. He likes flowers. Don’t flowers and chocolate just go hand in hand? Oh, and she just has one tiny little problem that few people know about... [SessKag]
1. As Time Goes By

Aiyaa! Lol I sound like an old Chinese lady but that's okay! I am writing a new story and well, haha it's very…yup.

Disclaimer: Hmm…I see not the point of these. Lol I'm talking funny. But anyway, I don't own InuYasha or any of the characters. I know everyone wishes they did though! I own the idea and please don't try and use this idea and try to pass it off as your own!

PG-13

AU She likes chocolate. He likes flowers. Don't flowers and chocolate just go hand in hand? Oh, and she just has one tiny little problem that few people know about... SessKag

O n l y A D a y d r e a m A w a y

**Chapter 1**

As Time Goes By…

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She always seemed to be daydreaming. She never looked entirely focused, and she always looked like she had something better to do. When she smiled, it seemed like she was smiling to herself and there was some inside joke that no one else but her would understand. No one did. No one questioned anything about her. It was just the way she was.

They didn't know where she came from. It was surprising how quickly it had happened. She had just appeared one day. The market on the corner had been for sale for quite a while. It had been there longer than anyone could remember. They certainly didn't notice when the sign had been taken down, and they had hardly noticed when people started to occupy the building.

When the shop finally opened, it had surprisingly been very eventful. The shop sold little trinkets, and it was a very good tourist attraction as well as a little shrine. What the shop really thrived on was selling flowers. It was a flower shop. The name of the store was 'Forever Memories'.

She was friendly, she was cheerful. You could never hate her, and you could never love her. She had the kind of face that wasn't breathtakingly beautiful, but it definitely wasn't plain either. You wouldn't notice her all the way across the room if you weren't looking for her. If you were looking for her, you'd certainly find her. She was pretty enough and had a natural sort of beauty. If she'd only wear makeup, then she would be a knock-out, but she seemed oblivious to it all.

The way she'd treat any person was the same. If you were drop dead gorgeous, she'd be nice to you. If you were plain ugly, she'd treat you the same. She seemed to see past everything on the outside and found her way within.

She was just Kagome Higurashi.

----------

He could see her everyday. He didn't want to see her everyday, but she was always there. He didn't know her name and was pretty sure that he didn't care. She in her little apron that was color coordinated depending on which day of the week it was. Not that he noticed or anything. She was always in his way. He had never actually spoken to her, but she had probably seen him too.

Once in a while, he'd look out his window to find that she had been staring at him. It _seemed_ like she had been staring, anyway. Whenever he looked back at her, she was never intimidated. When he looked at her coldly, she just kept on staring. She always looked dazed.

It was surprising that he hadn't noticed her in the first place. The place was deserted but one day, everything was in place. It was almost infuriating how she had managed to do everything without anyone detecting it. He himself hadn't been in the town for too long, but he was pretty sure he'd have seen something going on in the shop. She was either inconspicuous or extremely subtle.

Somehow, she had earned his respect. Most small businesses failed after the first few months, yet here she was. She hardly seemed to be bankrupt, and there were always a few stragglers after closing hours. He noticed. He didn't want to notice, but he could hardly help it. Her store _was_ in plain view. He was only across the street!

Was it his fault that he had inherited this stupid place? No, it was that old hag's fault. She had loved the place to death and had had her last breath there too. He hadn't even known her that well. He had only come to her store to buy a couple of cliché items for his date on Valentines Day before he broke up with her but obviously, that had been enough. She had left him the whole damn store, and now he had to actually be in it before he could think of what the hell he was going to do with it. It was worse than that; he had to work in it.

He was the manager, the cashier, basically everything. It had been popular with younger children and with some teenage boys who needed to get gifts for their girlfriends, but recently, it had also been popular with a much different crowd. More specifically, it was the female crowd. There had been from little girls to old hags like the one who had left him the place coming in to say hi, buy a couple of sweets, and smile flirtingly at him.

It didn't bother him much. After all, he did want the store to flourish. It didn't matter who would own the store later, as long as it was off of his hands. He only needed a couple more months before he would sell it. He needed to make sure the hag hadn't screwed anything up and screwed him as well. Who knew how hags thought anyway?

It was a shame, really. He rather liked flowers. Now, if the damn hag had left him a flower shop, maybe, just maybe he would consider keeping it. Chocolate was somewhat disgusting. Chocolate was a vile substance that gave children the energy to jump and run around like crazed monkeys one second and drop dead another second later. Flowers, on the other hand, were not edible, and they were likable to a certain extent. They were fragrant and brightened up rooms quite well.

One benefit he had from being across the street from the little flower shop was the fact that everyone thought chocolate or candy and flowers went perfectly together. Personally, he thought it was a little cliché since it was what he had bought for hundreds of girls before, and it was getting a little old, but as long as it helped business, it didn't matter.

Oh, and it was _absolutely_ perfect since those things were what had damned him in the first place. He vowed never to buy another box of chocolates and flowers ever again in horror of another old hag who would leave him _their_ store in their will. One was enough for a lifetime.

He was contemplating the death of all the old hags of the world when the little bell that hung on the door chimed. He quickly threw out all thoughts about murdering innocent old ladies in their sleep out of his head as he turned to greet his customer.

"Hello, welcome to…" he trailed off as he realized who had come in. He set his glare reserved for the most bothersome of all beings on his face and tried to look like he wasn't thinking about jumping over the counter and pounding in the face of his "customer". Instead, he tried to look almost pleasant. It was as pleasant as he could with a most venomous glare in the world, anyway. "What do you want, Kagura?"

"So…you're working in this dump now, then?" Kagura announced, not even trying to hide the disgust in her voice.

"If that's what you'd call this place, then yes. I work in this dump. I also happen to own this dump."

"Oh! Well, that's different then." She popped a chocolate Kiss into her mouth and chewed it daintily. "I suppose that it isn't that bad. All the sweets you can eat, right?"

He gave her a stony stare.

"What?" She was a bit intimidated. "Sesshoumaru, I don't like whatever it is you're thinking! It was only one little kiss!"

He looked her up and down and asked, "Wasn't that what you said before I dumped your delicate little ass?"

Kagura huffed indignantly and Sesshoumaru watched in amusement as her face started to turn several shades of pink and then red. She swiftly grabbed another chocolate but this time, it was a Hug. She popped it into her mouth and discreetly looked around for nosy customers. Nearly everyone in the little store was looking at them.

"Should I tell Mr. Hiroi of your little escapades today then? I'm positive he'd be perfectly ecstatic to hear that his loving daughter is a petty thief," Sesshoumaru nearly spat out. He was much too refined to actually spit.

If it was possible, her face turned even redder, and she fumbled through her purse before haughtily throwing a couple of dollars at him. It was all she could manage before she stormed out of the store, and also before her coat got caught on the door handle.

"Thank you for coming to Bitter Sweet. Have a nice day," he called out to her in his most pleasant voice. He mentally shook out all his emotions. Only a certain few people could cause all of his emotions to just burst out like that. Unfortunately, she was one of them.

Mentally sighing, he took the money from a little girl and gave her the bag of sweets. He thought about his family, and that made him think about his father.

His father was having another political dinner party the next night and he was required to attend. It was just his luck that his father decided to come to the town that his son was conveniently located in. Maybe he'd pay a visit to the little place across the street after all. He needed to buy something if he was to see his stepmother, and you could never go wrong with flowers. Unfortunately, everything had gone wrong with Kagura. Even beautiful flowers couldn't fix it.

Kagura had never really gotten over the fact that Sesshoumaru had broken up with her. He had done it nicely like always, but she couldn't quite comprehend it. _She should have expected it_, he thought. _No one cheats on Sesshoumaru Yamada. _It was a good thing that he had never slept with her then.

----------

"You know, you really should collaborate with that store across the street."

"What are you talking about?"

"C'mon Kagome, surely you've noticed the hunk standing behind the register in the store across the street!"

Kagome just stared blankly ahead and blinked. "I haven't…seen him, Sango. I pay attention to my customers rather than hunky men across the street. You just happen to be one of the customers that come here to distract me every other day. Besides, you shouldn't be talking. Little miss happily married shouldn't be eyeing other men," she teased.

"I won't tell if you won't!" She winked. "Haha I'm sorry about that. I just love what you've done to this place. I used to always come here as a kid and played hide and seek. It scared the shit out of me. You've gone and made it downright homey! The colors and everything are just so…warm and inviting."

She shrugged as she started arranging the flowers into a bouquet. She sniffed each one before putting them in the order that she wanted.

"How is it that you can do that without looking at them?" Sango asked suddenly. "I mean, I've been watching you arrange flowers for the past couple of days and you can just make them look so beautiful without looking at them! You can multitask."

Kagome laughed and wrapped up the flowers with a pink bow. She tugged on her apron and yawned widely. Blinking the tears back from the yawn, she continued to stare at nothing.

Being the only person to work in the little shop, Kagome had time to socialize with the neighbors and the local townspeople. One of the people who had taken a special interest in the shop and in Kagome was none other than the woman standing beside her.

Sango Murakami was a self defense instructor across town, and she was currently pregnant with her second child. She was on about her 6th month and had to take maternity leave from work. She lived about a few blocks away from "Forever Memories" and decided to visit the place on a whim one day. Her husband, Miroku Mazaki, had given the place well deserved praise, and Sango had decided to visit the place more often.

At the moment, her pet project was to befriend Kagome Higurashi. It was pretty hard work too. Kagome was a very distant girl, and it was hard to get any information at all from her. She'd always answer questions about herself evasively. She never slipped up even once in the whole 2 weeks that Sango had been there.

A little boy ran up to Kagome and hugged her legs tightly, signifying that he was there. He had soft orange-red hair that was piled messily on top of his head and green eyes that sparkled excitedly as he waited for the present he had gotten for his mother.

She turned her head towards him and tied another pink bow around the box that now held the flowers. "Here you go then, Shippou. I hope your mother feels better. I think it'd mean a lot more if you handwrote the card yourself, okay?"

Shippou looked confused for a second and then nodded before holding his arms out and successfully letting her legs go. He seemed to be expecting her to hand him the box, but she held onto it a little longer. "So you wanted 3 purple irises, 2 yellow tulips, and one red rose, right?"

Reluctantly, the redheaded boy let his hands fall to his sides and waited for her to hand them to him. He didn't like the fact that she was teaching him good manners. "Yes, ma'am."

A lock of her dark black hair fell out of its ponytail and brushed Shippou's nose gently. He sneezed. She put her hand on his cheek and rubbed his nose with her thumb. She handed him the box and said, "Thank you for coming. I'll just put that on your tab."

He stared at her eyes, and saw that she wasn't looking directly at him. Her eyes were such a pale blue that they seemed grey at times. They were very captivating, and he didn't even notice that he was staring at them until the pregnant woman cleared her throat.

"Oh!" he blushed. "I'm sorry, Ms. Higurashi. I didn't mean to stare at you."

Kagome rarely looked surprised, but this was just one of those moments. "Were you? Well, that's alright. I don't mind at all. Later when your mother opens the box, she'll get a surprise." She winked at his general direction. "I won't charge you any extra. Just tell her that she's welcome here at any time and that I think you're a really great kid."

The emerald green eyes of his shone even brighter, and he quickly rushed out of the store with a "Thank You".

Sango watched his retreating back and turned towards Kagome again. She was talking to a pair of tourists, assuring them that the flowers were fresh and that they'd last at the very least a week. She laughingly told them that she hadn't been in the town very long but she was growing into it. It was interesting how well she related to all her customers, no matter what age, race, or gender.

As soon as the pair left –not without a couple of souvenirs, of course-- Sango spoke mischievously, "Well! It's obvious that that little redhead kid has a crush on you!"

Currently, her eyes were a pale blue and they blinked rapidly in confusion. "W-what?"

"That kid," she said while absently rubbing her stomach, "has got the hots for you."

"Who? Shippou?" Her brows were furrowed in utter confusion.

"Who else? Girl, you can see it in his eyes!"

Her face was saddened for a bit but she brightened quickly. She had no idea if Sango had caught it or not but it didn't matter. "I bet that's how you could tell Miroku loved you too."

Caught unexpectedly, Sango blushed. "Way to change the subject, Higurashi."

Kagome just smiled knowingly and went back to work. She walked towards the counter and lightly kicked it before carefully walking behind it. She located the stool and sat down cautiously. She knew the little shop like the back of hand but you could never be too careful. "Sango?" she called out. "What time is it?"

Sango looked at her watch and yelped, "Oh gosh! I've been here way too long! Haha, sorry Kags, but I gotta jet. You know how it is! Don't wanna make the husband panic!"

The last comment had made Kagome shake with laughter. Honestly, she wouldn't know how it was since she had never been married, but she didn't mind if Sango thought she was. At some point, Sango's nagging and questioning had become more amusing rather than annoying.

There was a little ringing noise and then her pocket started vibrating. She pulled out her cell phone and flipped it open. "Hello? Jakotsu?"

"Kag, baby, does it sound like I'm Jakotsu?"

Kagome rolled her eyes vaguely and said into the phone, "Hey, Bankotsu. I was hoping you were Jakotsu. I'm expecting him to come pick me up. I still need to find something to wear for the stupid party."

"Ah, you wound me!" She could practically hear him holding his hand over his heart over the phone. "Little brother isn't going to make it tonight. I'm going to pick you up in his place. Don't you think that I'd pick something better for you to wear rather than Jakotsu?"

"Knowing you, you'd have me dressed in lingerie and try to tell me it's only my imagination when I tell you it doesn't feel right," she said wryly.

"Well! Then you know me too well! I'll see you in five."

"Hn."

The last customer of the day walked up to Kagome and asked, "How much will this little charm cost?"

She reached over and felt the edges and curves of the little bauble and replied, "Oh, it isn't very much. If you like, you can get it for free if you buy a couple of flowers and request the charm to be with it."

"How quaint…I'll do that then."

It was really quite easy doing what she did. In a matter of moments, she had the flowers and the little trinket all wrapped up and boxed. 

"Would you mind getting me a bag?"

"No problem." She reached under the counter and felt around for the bag while she smiled. "Here you go. Have a nice night."

"You too. You better be getting home soon, wherever it is you live. It can get pretty dangerous around this time. You don't want young hoodlums coming in and all that nonsense!"

"No, I don't," Kagome agreed good-naturedly. "I'm just waiting for a friend to come and pick me up and then I'll be on my way."

The tourist/customer nodded and winked at Kagome before leaving. "He must be a nice one to have gotten you!"

Kagome didn't notice the meaning until after the door closed and she blushed. "Crazy old bat…" She was muttering to herself and her back was turned to the door when it opened.

"Bankotsu? Is that you?" she asked, without even bothering to turn around. "I need you to do something for me before we leave…"

"I'm afraid that I'm not your Bankotsu," a deep voice replied. It sent shivers down her spine.

"I-I'm sorry, but we're closed."

"I've seen you take in some last minute customers over the last couple of days. I don't see why you shouldn't make an exception now."

It was hard to stay calm but she tried. She forced herself to relax and somehow, it worked. It would have been much scarier if she could have turned around and looked at him but she couldn't. Thank God for that.

"Is there anything you'd like in particular?"

"It's considered rude to some if you talk without looking at them."

Annoyed and a little frustrated, she whirled around, faced his direction, and glared as hard as she could at where she had heard his voice come from. "And it's also considered rude to ask the impossible."

She didn't know why in the world she had just blurted it out, but he had just made her so angry. With that cool tone of his and his obvious reluctance to be there in the first place, he got on her nerves. She had never told anyone other than her close relations and even then, they had mostly had to find out on their own. With one exception, she never told anyone willingly. She knew they'd treat her differently. They always did.

He didn't understand what she had meant. What was so impossible about his request? He watched her impatience build up, and he felt just as impatient. He refused to admit it, but she had quite a nice place. It was very fragrant, and the flowers seemed extremely fresh. There were colors and varieties of all kinds. They were placed expertly and the counters and shelves were also color-coordinated. There were a couple of wind chimes, and the woman in the middle of it all just seemed to fit perfectly.

It suddenly hit him then. She was putting all her heart and soul into the glare that was supposedly aimed at him, but he could see some uncertainty in her eyes. She seemed to be glaring at everything in his direction like…like she couldn't see him. Was that it then?

"You…are you blind?"

--tsuzuku--

So how did you all like it? Was that a good enough start? I think I'm writing weirdly but oh well. I hope you liked it and hopefully I like it enough to continue! Luv ya!


	2. Make a Secret

Happy New Years everyone! Okay I received a lot of really nice reviews and I'm really happy about that! Thanks so much! It was surprising to me that you guys didn't know until after he said it! I thought that the hints were a little too obvious but apparently not!

I'm going to answer some questions now. Some people asked why Sesshoumaru was so OOC and why he was like InuYasha and my only excuse for that is…he was frustrated that day? I don't know. I don't think that he was OOC and I'll try not to have that happen. I'll tell you more about Kagome's "condition" as the story goes on. I don't plan on putting details about Sesshoumaru's store until later. You'll also find out about Sesshoumaru's father later on as well. Just so you all don't think I'm being lazy by not putting in enough details, I'm going to tell you now.** Everything that seems like it isn't being described enough will be described more thoroughly later on. **Besides, I like being vague since it leaves you all guessing.

Disclaimer: Why are you bugging me about this? I don't think these things are necessary, but to avoid the site from kicking me out, I'll say it. Takahashi Rumiko owns InuYasha. Not you or me. If you say that you do, it's a darned lie.

PG-13

AU She likes chocolate. He likes flowers. Don't flowers and chocolate just go hand in hand? Oh, and she just has one tiny little problem that few people know about... SessKag

O n l y A D a y d r e a m A w a y

**Chapter 2**

Make a Secret

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Later that evening, Kagome was thinking things through in Bankotsu's car.

"You're awfully quiet tonight, Kagome," Bankotsu noticed. "I thought you'd be glad to get back home."

"I am. I'm just…thinking."

"Did one of your customer's give you trouble today? I swear, if one of them laid a finger on you, I'll—"

"I'm fine, Bankotsu. Really. I'm just…wondering about what Jakotsu is going to get me to wear tomorrow night."

"I can assure you that it's going to be something fantastic. Especially since you're going to be the one wearing it." He winked, even though Kagome wouldn't be able to see it. He knew that she could tell from his teasing voice anyway.

"Have you seen it yet?" asked Kagome, glad to change the subject.

"Not yet," replied Bankotsu thoughtfully, "but Jakotsu is the best designer in the whole country. It's bound to be great."

She laughed, reflecting on how proud he was of his younger brother. When Jakotsu had first broken the news to his brother about his sexual preferences, Bankotsu was less than pleased. Along the way, however, he had come to realize that even though his brother went the other way, so to speak, he was still plain old Jakotsu.

There was a subtle "new car smell" as Kagome put it, and she guessed that Bankotsu had driven one of his newer cars. She couldn't care less what he chose to pick her up in, but he probably wanted her to make a comment on it. She decided to say something about it later. Teasing Bankotsu was fun.

Her fingers came up to brush a couple of hairs out of her face as she closed her eyes. Her head tilted a bit to rest on the seatbelt, and she promptly fell asleep. The radio was on but it was a soft murmur, which Kagome found soothing and easy to fall sleep to. Normally, it was hard to fall asleep, but she felt safe. She could always trust Bankotsu. He would never let anything happen to her.

Bankotsu glanced over at his passenger and let out a small smile. For a moment, he let himself get distracted but quickly shook his head to clear his mind. He couldn't get distracted. However, Kagome looked so peaceful there…he couldn't help but glance over again.

The slow rise and fall of her stomach meant that she was truly asleep. Sometimes, she faked it to amuse herself. Bankotsu always did the strangest things when she was asleep. She had almost caught him about to kiss her once, but he had pulled away just in time. She hadn't known what was going on.

Friends. Just friends. That was what they were and all they were ever going to be. It was all they were allowed to be. The Higurashi's had not hired him to court her. They had hired him to take care of her. He was somewhat of a bodyguard. But it was so hard for him not to fall for her. To not fall for her innocence, those wide blue-grey eyes, that voice. Impossible. Her eyes were useless to her, but that didn't make them any less appealing. They were beautiful. He could stare into them forever. And he would have.

They had seen the way he looked at her. They had noticed and realized how he felt. They had asked him directly if he was going to act on his feelings. In order to keep his family's job and their position, he had lied outright. He couldn't risk all of his brother's jobs just because of a silly crush. He could keep his feelings in order. But it was growing to be so hard to keep his secret. He had begun to do little affectionate things like tuck in a strand of her hair behind her ear or kiss her on the forehead sometimes. He had started to slip.

That was why Bankotsu had started sending in Suikotsu more often in his stead. He had thought that if he hadn't seen her for a while, it would get better. That if he didn't see her, it would go away. In reality, it got worse. He longed to hear her voice and see her smile.

His brothers Kyokotsu and Ginkotsu were large and were used to guard Kagome during special events. They were like bouncers at a club but more extreme. His other brother Mukotsu was one of the house doctors and the cook as well. He was useful and didn't depend on Bankotsu that much. Renkotsu was a scheming little bastard, but they were still brothers and still cared about each other. Renkotsu was one of the Higurashi's many accountants and financial advisers. He was smart and useful. Jakotsu was Kagome's stylist. He worked wonders. Suikotsu was also another doctor for the house, but he was also one of Kagome's guards. He guarded Kagome along with Bankotsu himself. His fighting skills nearly rivaled Bankotsu's.

It wouldn't mean anything. All of that wouldn't mean anything if Bankotsu couldn't keep his feelings in check. He thought of how happy they were now that they had found a home. Finding Kagome had been the best thing for their family in more ways than one. By being Kagome's guard, he had found a secure job for the rest of his brothers. He wouldn't let it all go just because of his feelings. He had to think of his family first. He always did. To do that, he had to keep Kagome safe yet out of his reaches.

His brows furrowed in frustration and he let out a little grunt. "I've got some work ahead of me," he muttered.

Kagome's eyes fluttered in her sleep and in her dream, she wondered what he had meant by it.

----------

Hands clutched in prayer, Jakotsu let out an audible sigh as he saw Bankotsu's new Jaguar pull into the driveway. They were safe. Bankotsu's driving was known to be reckless, but he could see that nothing in the world could make him purposely harm Kagome. Even so, there was always a possibility.

Jakotsu had thanked the gods nearly everyday since his older brother had met Kagome. She had only been a quiet little girl that had bumped into them in the city during the late hours of the night.

At the time, Kagome was about 6and Bankotsu was 14. Jakotsu was somewhere near 9 or 10. They were walking back home when they stumbled upon a little girl. Her eyes were red as if she had been crying. They were about to leave her –what were they going to do with a little girl anyway?—when she took a few awkward steps towards them and fell.

He could still remember her quivering voice. _"Please, can you help me find my way home?" _

Bankotsu had looked at her wearily and Jakotsu had stifled a laugh. Nonetheless, they looked at each other and made a silent agreement. They were in a pretty seedy part of the city, and it was certainly no place for a little girl to be by herself. It was a miracle in itself that she hadn't been kidnapped already! They picked her up by the elbows and trudged on home with her.

On the way to their house, she hadn't said a single word. They could see her body shudder from the cold –it was no wonder! She was only wearing a little sundress!—but still, she said nothing. The brothers exchanged looks again.

As soon as they had arrived at their home, there was a huge commotion. They lived in an orphanage, and all the orphans came and gathered around the little girl. There were cries of "Where did you get her?" and "What's wrong with her?" from every direction. Still, she said nothing.

With a glare from Bankotsu, they immediately shut up and backed off. Gently, he guided her into the room that he shared with his brothers, sat her down on his bed, and asked the one question that had been running through his mind the entire time he was with her. "What's your name?"

Thankful to be pulled inside and out of the cold, she replied, "Kagome."

"What were you doing out there by yourself? Do you know how late it is?" inquired Bankotsu.

"What's your name?" she asked in return, ignoring his other questions.

He paused. "I'm Bankotsu."

She held out a hand. "Pleased to meet you."

It was surprising that such manners could come from such a young girl. He took her small hand and shook it. "Where do you live?"

Again, she ignored him and asked, "How old are you?"

"Older than you, kid."

Her lips were pursed in thought as she accepted this. ". I got lost, I don't know how late it is, and I live at…"

Bankotsu's eyes widened as the little girl carefully recited her address. He asked her if she was sure that that was where she lived. She thought about it some more and nodded. Bankotsu was taken aback. This little girl lived in a mansion!

There was a humongous house on top of a hill that everyone looked up at and admired. It was the house of the infamous Higurashi's. Was this girl a Higurashi too then? But he had never heard of a daughter! Nobody had ever mentioned a child in the Higurashi household. And he would know. He made it his business to know everything.

"Kagome, it's too dark and too late at night to be going anywhere right now." He paused when she frowned. "But I'll try and help get you back home tomorrow morning. Is that okay?"

Two little shoulders lifted and fell in a shrug. "What am I going to do for the rest of the night? Mother says that there are bad people out in the night."

Mother? The petite girl was oddly formal.

"You can stay here."

"Where am I?"

"You're in my room at the orphanage. I share this room with my brothers."

"What's an orphanage?"

"It's where kids go when they don't have any parents."

"Where do the parents go?"

"Sometimes they die, but sometimes they just don't want us."

"That's sad. How many brothers do you have?"

"I have 6 of them. It'll get crowded in here later."

"That's okay. Where do I sleep?"

"Right here. Didn't you notice? You're on my bed right now."

"Oh. I'm sorry." Kagome hesitated. She liked this Bankotsu guy. He seemed so nice. But she wasn't supposed to tell anybody. Would it be okay just this once? "Do you want to know a secret?"

"Not if you don't want to tell me."

That was great. He passed the test. It made her smile brilliantly. "Don't tell anyone else, okay?"

"Okay."

"No one's supposed to know, but I can tell you. You're nice. Bankotsu…I can't see."

He eyed her carefully. "You mean…you're blind?"

Kagome nodded vigorously. "That's what father says. So I'm sleeping here?"

At a loss for what to say, Bankotsu nodded. Kagome still seemed to waiting for a response when Bankotsu realized that she couldn't see his nod. He said yes and Kagome looked down.

"You're not going to treat me differently from now on, are you?" She sounded worried.

"Of course not. I'll treat you exactly like I treat the rest of my friends."

She was delighted. Although she was too ashamed to admit it, she had never had a friend before. Carefully, she took off her little shoes and placed them beside her. "Can I go to sleep now?"

"Sure." He looked down at the bed tentatively. Where would he sleep? The floor certainly wasn't the most comfortable place in the world but he could manage. Right?

"Would you mind sleeping with me? I don't like being alone." _Especially in a place where she had never been before_. That part was left unsaid but both understood it.

Although he was a teenager, he didn't even stop to think about the double meaning in her sentence. She was just a kid, after all. What would he want to do with a kid, anyway? He accepted. She was scared and he would be there to comfort her. Aside from Jakotsu, who she hadn't talked with yet, she didn't know anyone else. It was only normal.

The bed was hardly big enough for one person, let alone two, but they managed. Awkwardly, Bankotsu tried to sleep. It was hard feat to accomplish with a little girl clinging onto him for dear life. She whimpered in her sleep and held on tight. To keep from falling off the bed, he had to hold on to her too.

And that was how they were found in the morning, two kids holding each other as if their lives depended on it.

----------

"Come on, come on, we haven't got all day!" ordered Jakotsu playfully.

He had helped Kagome put on the dress right away and started fitting it to her body. He knew her measurements all by memory already, but it never hurt to check. She could have gained or lost a few pounds in the last couple of months. He was all for Kagome gaining a few extra pounds, though. He liked to say she was almost bone-thin.

"So how was business today?" came a muffled voice. Jakotsu's mouth was full with pins.

"It was fine." She wasn't sure whether she should tell him or not. It was nothing really. He had promised not to tell anyone, so it would be fine. "That self-defense teacher tried to get me to talk again. She's really quite entertaining."

Jakotsu chuckled lightly for fear of swallowing the pins. Only Kagome would find someone trying to find out her secrets entertaining. Only Kagome.

"Can you tell me about the people hosting the party, Bankotsu?" She needed to know something about them before attending one of their parties. It'd be rude not to.

Bankotsu opened a drawer and pulled out a clipboard. He flipped through the pages. "Well, it's a party being hosted by the Yamada's. Do you remember them, Kagome?"

She thought it over for a second but couldn't remember anything. "No. Should I?"

"For starters, they're one of the few families who know that you exist. The two parents, anyway. They don't know about your…handicap, though. I also doubt they remember you after all these years."

"Oh! I remember now! Wait…weren't they the ones that I sort of…crashed into when I was younger?"

Reminiscing, Bankotsu smiled wistfully. "Yes. You were trying to escape the clutches of your evil piano teacher who thought you might have an ear for music."

A newly French manicured nail came up to her mouth as she thoughtfully chewed on it. "Mother and Father quickly put a stop to that. I had to endure piano lessons for another 6 years."

"Stop moving, Kagome," warned Jakotsu through a mouthful of pins.

The nail, along with the finger that came with it, came back down to her sides. "Is there anything else about them that I should know?"

The sound of rustling fabric and paper could be heard and Bankotsu replied, "They do have two sons, one from a previous marriage. I think that some matchmaking will be going on during that party. You better watch yourself."

Kagome nearly scoffed. When had she never watched herself? She was always careful. Besides, she had Bankotsu and every one of his brothers watching out for her. What was the worst that could happen?

----------

Finding out that the woman across the street was blind certainly put a hamper on things. It sure explained why she hadn't responded when he had stared at her openly, though. He had promised the woman that he would not tell anyone else of what had happened. He couldn't believe what had possessed him to do that.

He sighed. He hadn't had a female companion in more than 2 months and that was far too long.

The night was coming fast and it was almost pitch black outside when he opened the door to his car. He had ended up buying flowers off a cart on his way to see his parents. The drive had taken a couple of hours, but he had time to spare. He didn't like to visit them too often, but it seemed like the occasion called for it. His father was hosting another party –for what seemed like no reason—and as the future heir to the company, he was obliged to attend.

The bouquet of flowers was bright and colorful, enough to satisfy his stepmother. Although the arrangement of flowers was like any other, there seemed to be something missing. He was starting to regret getting distracted earlier. The flowers at Forever Memories were extremely eye-catching. Of course, the aroma didn't hurt either. The flowers that he had bought had no certain scent unless you leaned in closely. He brushed off the thought.

What would happen as soon as he stepped foot into the Yamada mansion? He could just imagine it now. Either there would be absolute silence, or there would be a huge commotion. He could practically hear his younger half-brother InuYasha stomping down the stairs, demanding why he had come. It almost made him get back in and turn the car around.

Taking a breath, Sesshoumaru stepped onto the grounds of the Yamada mansion. The only thing that he missed about the place was the gardens, though he'd never admit it. The gardens used to glow at night, and it gave him a certain comfort to know that they still did. He walked up the steps and pulled out a set of keys. Before he could find the correct one, though, the large glass doors opened.

"Sesshoumaru?" a deep voice asked.

"Yes, father, it's me," replied Sesshoumaru, no emotion whatsoever in his voice.

"Well, this is a surprise! Was I supposed to know about this visit?"

"No, it was on a whim that I decided to come here."

"I'm glad you came. You can help with the preparations for the party."

"Where is everybody else?"

"Your brother and his mother are in the dining room trying to figure out where everyone is going to be sitting and what we're going to be eating."

"I see."

"Are those flowers for her?"

Sesshoumaru hesitated before answering, "Yes."

"Don't be shy, son. We are still your family, whether you still live here or not. Come on, I'm sure she'll be delighted to receive those from you."

The two men walked into the house in silence. The only sound heard was the rustling of fabric and the clacking of their shoes. When they reached the room, they found that the door was open and InuYasha and his mother were arguing.

"Mom, you know they don't like each other. Why bother seating them that close? It'll just cause more drama for the rest of us," sighed InuYasha.

"InuYasha," said the older woman patiently, "the only reason it seems like they don't like each other is because in reality, they do like each other. Trust me, sweetie, a woman knows these things."

"So you're just going to play matchmaker?" came InuYasha's disgusted reply. He muttered something oddly similar to "women think they know everything" but it went ignored.

"Except for with your brother, it always works." She winked. InuYasha grinned.

Sesshoumaru frowned and cleared his throat. The pair whirled around, stared like two deer caught in headlights, into the faces of Sesshoumaru and his father. Sesshoumaru walked into the large room gracefully, carrying the bouquet of flowers in front of him. He bowed his head slightly as he handed the flowers to his stepmother. "Hello, Sayuri. These are for you."

Sayuri Yamada stayed frozen for a couple more seconds as she stared at the bouquet of flowers in front of her. She came to her senses quickly and took the flowers into her hand. She was afraid that she was going to tear up. She looked up at Sesshoumaru, for he was heads taller than she was, and smiled. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru. That was quite thoughtful of you."

The only thing he could think of doing in return was nod. He looked over at his brother and they immediately began to glare at each other.

As expected, the younger brother hissed, "What do you think you're doing here, Sesshoumaru?"

"I have as much right to be here as you do, dear InuYasha," responded Sesshoumaru with emphasis at the last two words.

Before InuYasha could think of a comeback, their father interrupted. "Yes, he does. He dropped by merely on a whim, and we're glad to have him. Aren't we, InuYasha?"

"I guess," muttered InuYasha sullenly.

"We sure are," agreed Sayuri. "Now, next on the list…Who is next on the list, InuYasha?"

Grabbing a stack of placement cards from a nearby chair, he read aloud, "Higurashi and escort. There's only one Higurashi this year, mom?"

Surprised, the matriarch of the family snatched the card out of her son's hand. "That can't be right. Is one of Higurashi's sick, Koyama?" she asked her husband.

"No, that card is correct. They called a few days ago to inform us that they would not be coming but someone else would be. They assure me that we know this person."

For the first time since he had given his stepmother the flowers, Sesshoumaru spoke up. "Who else would be coming in their stead?"

"I don't know. I assume it'll be a reunion for us, Sayuri. Let's seat whoever it is closer to us so we can get reacquainted."

The Yamada family continued to make small talk and went on placing the cards on the table. Sesshoumaru and InuYasha avoided each other whenever possible. When talking to each other was unavoidable, a huge conflict resided. They began to argue, but that was just usual at the Yamada household whenever the two brothers were within 20 feet of one another.

All was well again in the family. At least, Sayuri and Koyama thought so. They smiled at each other in familial bliss when Sayuri suddenly let out an audible gasp. The three men turned to look at her expectantly.

"Koyama…didn't the Higurashi's have a daughter?"

--tsuzuku—

I seem to think that my writing in this chapter was seemingly worse. Hmm…and there sure was a lot of dialogue… I don't know. I hope you guys liked it. I'm working hard on my stories but darn it, finals are coming up again soon. Tell me what you think of this chapter. I didn't like it at all…am I just paranoid?


	3. Hanging by a Moment

I'm not dead, I swear. I'm going to try and write chapters in advance, though! It'll take me a while, so please bear with me. I also really appreciate the fact that everyone thinks I'm paranoid. That tells me how much you all love me! Haha. Thank you again for the nice reviews everyone. I am seriously craving a Toblerone chocolate right now. Does anyone have one? And whoo, this sure took a while to get out. Again, I'm afraid that I'm letting you all down with this chapter.

And holy shizzles, I just re-read that author's note and realized that I had written this in _August _of_ 2006_. Maybe even _earlier_. I am so sorry. The only thing I can do to make it up to you guys is to continue writing this. And okay, some of the things I write seem to be a bit outlandish, but for the sake of the story, they can totally happen. I try to make it as realistic as possible. I hope you enjoy. And if you have any suggestions (as in, think I have plot holes lol), please let me know!

Disclaimer: Once, I owned an eraser. I erased too hard, and it went away. Now, I don't own an eraser anymore.

PG-13

[AU] She likes chocolate. He likes flowers. Don't flowers and chocolate just go hand in hand? Oh, and she just has one tiny little problem that few people know about... [SessKag]

O n l y A D a y d r e a m A w a y

**Chapter 3**

Hanging by a Moment

----------

And so the night arrived. The day had gone by quickly with all of the preparations required for the party. It was originally intended to be a formal dinner with business partners, but InuYasha's mother had changed that in no time. She felt that it would be better if the guests were more relaxed and if there was a more festive atmosphere. Fortunately, her husband agreed.

It was _the_ place to be. Everyone who was anyone would be there. Because of this, of course, InuYasha did not want to be there. He had decided it would be rather nice to go off in his room and hide—no, not _hide_, take a breather was all, —until the party was over. Sadly, it wasn't meant to be. His father had demanded he stay until the very last guest had gone home. Pfft. As if he wasn't being tortured enough.

As always, Sesshoumaru was the obedient and respectful son. That dickhead. _He_ hadn't complained about being in a room with stuffy old people all night. _He_ hadn't tried to beg his way out of it. In fact, he had barely said a word the entire time he was home.

InuYasha huffed and plopped on the couch, immediately reaching for the remote. He'd try and put everything off until the last minute. It was how he functioned, of course. He sat up and whipped his head quickly to the side when someone grabbed the remote from him. Sesshoumaru. It figured.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" snapped InuYasha.

His older brother did nothing but raise an eyebrow delicately. He knew it aggravated InuYasha when he did that.

On cue, InuYasha barked, "What?"

"Shouldn't that be my question, _otouto_?" Sesshoumaru replied. "What are you doing watching television a mere two hours before the dinner? It would take you at least three hours to even begin to look presentable."

InuYasha bit back a growl. "All I have to do is put on the damn tux, and I'll be done. What I do two _hours_ before dinner is none of your business."

"Hn." The elder of the two dropped the remote back onto the couch with disdain. He was _bored_, damn it, and he knew he could get a tiny bit of entertainment by getting a rise out of InuYasha. Now that _that_ was over, he had nothing left to do. He watched as InuYasha fell back on the couch, sulking. Ah, at least his mission had been accomplished. InuYasha could no longer watch his beloved television in peace.

He watched InuYasha throw his hands up in the air out of frustration and stalk out of the room, brushing past Sesshoumaru rather rudely. But that was okay, really. All it meant was that he had done his job properly. Oh, the joy of younger brothers.

----------

"I'm awake, I'm awake," Kagome mumbled incoherently. There were two hours until the dinner, and she had only gotten out of bed four hours earlier. It seemed like an eternity ago.

"Honestly, Kagome, what possessed you to read an entire novel before you went to bed last night?" Jakotsu scolded as he supervised Kagome's hair stylist. He designed her clothes and knew what looked good on her, but when it came down to it, he had no skill whatsoever in applying makeup or fixing hair. _Clothes_ were his thing, and he was sticking to it.

"It wasn't a novel. It was just something I found online. Bankotsu helped me—," she yawned, "---print it out, and I just couldn't put it down. Those fanfiction authors sure are getting good these days."

"No, no, it should be a little higher than that. The curls should frame her face like this," he said as he demonstrated for the hair dresser, "and Kagome, you really should know better. It was at the very least novel-length."

Kagome ignored him and went on, "You like _Yuu Yuu Hakusho_, right? Yes, you do. And I seem to recall a certain love of a Draco Malfoy? So put them together, and bam. No sleep."

Jakotsu's eyes gleamed as he considered this. It was wrong to indulge Kagome like this, but…it was Draco Malfoy. "Give me the website after we're done."

Outside Kagome's dressing room, Bankotsu watched as the two interacted with one another. They were the most _bizarre_ pair. They were mischievous, playful, and impish, and he was usually at the receiving end of their jokes. He was glad that they had gotten along so well though. They were the best of friends.

His mind, however, wasn't entirely focused on that at the moment.

He was going to be Kagome's escort for the dinner. Jakotsu was already well-known and flamboyantly gay, so he was out of the picture in a heartbeat. Renkotsu had something on his mind and wouldn't be able to focus on Kagome. Suikotsu was unfortunately out of town working as an adviser to the head of the Higurashi Hospital. Mukotsu was far too old to even consider, and Kyokotsu and Ginkotsu were too large and bulky for the job. They were going to guard the entrance anyway. That left him.

Well, _damn_. Obviously, trying to search for a way out of it wasn't going to work no matter how many times he went over it in his head. He was still mulling over it when Jakotsu came out of the room.

"What the hell are you doing?" Jakotsu asked. Wearing a clean black tux and his hair smoothly pulled back in a long braid, he looked out of place just leaning on the wall across the hall. In fact, he looked incredibly _awkward_.

"Waiting for you ladies to get ready," Bankotsu replied without blinking.

Jakotsu rolled his eyes. "Well, we're done. You two can go on your merry way now. Go ahead, leave me to wither away in this house by myself," he simpered, the back of his hand resting on his forehead.

It was Bankotsu's turn to roll his eyes as he easily sidestepped his brother's feigned swoon and poked his head into Kagome's room.

"Ready to go?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," she replied glumly as he took her hand and led her towards the door, trying not to think about how beautiful she was or how great she seemed to smell at that moment.

Kagome was sulking and dragging her heel-clad feet on the carpet. Her hair was pulled back with loose strands of curls framing her face. Silver crosses dangled from her ears, and a long silver necklace with crosses on it as well rested between her breasts. She wore a simple chiffon black dress that came down to her knees with silver ribbons that laced around her waist and came together into a small bow on her lower back. It was tailored for her, accentuating her curves and small waist.

She stumbled a bit as they were walking towards the car, Bankotsu's arm automatically coming around her waist.

_Well, I'm screwed. _He took deep and steady breaths as they walked together in silence, Kagome thinking about what the dinner would be like while Bankotsu tried not to think at all. It would definitely be a long night.

----------

The guests had started arriving earlier than expected. His parents, ever the gracious hosts, were busy greeting the guests and mingling. InuYasha stood off to the side, brooding. Any attempts to speak to him were thwarted by his ever present glare. The reason for his foul mood, however, was currently the center of attention...quite literally.

There in the middle of the room stood Sesshoumaru amidst a crowd of women and men. He seemed to draw them towards him like moths to a flame. Instead of displaying his usual cool and collected demeanor, he played the part of an avid socialite, greeting everyone by name and inquiring on the well being of family and friends. He flashed smiles at everybody while chatting away. Sesshoumaru seemed to be the epitome of perfection, while InuYasha the scruffy castoff. It grated on his nerves.

InuYasha hated these social events. Sesshoumaru seemed to thrive on them. The same old boring stuffy people with their stupid snotty attitudes and the sticks up all their asses. Oh. Maybe _this_ was why Sesshoumaru seemed to blend in with them so well. He was just like them. Ugh.

Kagura Hiroi—more of a social butterfly than Sesshoumaru, if that was possible—was busy buttering up all the old CEO's and executives in the room. She needed to leave an impression on them all if she was going to inherit her father's company. Even at a party, business was never far from the picture, though she made a considerable effort avoiding Sesshoumaru. Her younger sister Kanna, however, sat on a couch near InuYasha by herself, playing with her dolls silently.

Kikyou Takeda—an ex he didn't like to think about—hung onto Sesshoumaru's every word. Like Sesshoumaru, she was usually never seen without a calm, collected countenance, but wherever Sesshoumaru was concerned, Kikyou could change in a heartbeat. The younger Takeda, Kaede, sat next to Kanna on the couch, trying—in vain— to engage in a conversation with the stoic girl.

Houjo Aoyama—a nice guy, if only he wouldn't smile so damn much or be so fucking polite all the time—was trying to escape the grasp of the trophy wife of an esteemed restaurant branch owner without being rude. They were roughly the same age, but Houjo definitely did not want to mess with the restaurant owner, who was twice as wealthy, twice as old, and twice as large. It was the latter that scared him.

Plenty more familiar faces crowded the room as InuYasha brooded. He stood off to the side next to the two little girls. He liked to call their section, "The Outcasts." They had no place being in a party like this. He wondered vaguely what time it would have to be for him to leave the party without getting scolded.

It was then that a butler came in announcing dinner was ready, fully disrupting his thought process. His stomach grumbled, forcing InuYasha to follow the crowd into the dining hall. With one last look back at the room, his mind registered a new face before he turned the corner.

Sesshoumaru was one of the few to remain in the room rather than go into the dining hall. The others were his father, stepmother, and the two young girls on the couch. He ignored the children and walked over to his father, his shoes _clack_ing loudly in the silence. The two girls finally seemed to notice the emptiness of the room and scrambled to follow the rapidly disappearing crowd.

"What are you waiting for?" Sesshoumaru asked, rubbing his jaw a bit. He hadn't smiled so much in years. It felt like he'd almost forgotten _how_.

"Just checking to see if there are any stragglers," his father replied easily.

"He's just indulging me, really," the matriarch of the household said with a grin.

The eldest son said nothing in reply, wondering if he'd gotten everything right. He really wasn't as social as he made himself out to seem. Assistants provided him with the daily gossip on everybody else, and he made a small effort to remember them. He would enquire as to the wellbeing of other family members, and people would fall over themselves in amazement that _the _Sesshoumaru should even remember their names! He sometimes mused that he should have become an actor, though _that _was certainly out of the question, given his penchant for avoiding being the gossip. He would rather hear about it and use it to his advantage.

He was jarred from his thoughts, however, when a faint _clack_-ing sound caught his attention. Was there someone coming up the stairs?

His parents had the same idea, and they both waited for the eventual appearance of their (hopefully) last guest.

A woman and a man walked towards the door, arm in arm. He didn't recognize the man, but the woman…

"Why, hello! We're so glad you could make it tonight!" greeted his father with what seemed to be genuine sincerity.

She blushed a faint pink before apologizing for her tardiness. "I'm Higurashi Kagome, pleased to meet you. The man to my right is my companion for the night."

Three pairs of eyes followed her hand towards the man with the braid. He stepped forward and gave a deep bow before replying, "Bankotsu of the Shichinintai, a pleasure to meet you."

The Shichinintai were well known in their circle. They guarded high profile celebrities and families, and they were the best in the business, not one of their clients ever befalling a tragedy. How strange that one of their members happened to be appearing with the secluded heir of one of the richest families in the country.

"Likewise," Sesshoumaru said curtly.

"Oh, where are my manners? Come in, come in!" Sayuri waved them over, embarrassed for having stood in the doorway for so long.

Kagome once again took Bankotsu's arm as they walked to the dining room. They (or rather, Kagome) held polite conversation with his parents, speaking of inane things such as the weather and the traffic. Sesshoumaru stayed one step behind, something he was sure the bodyguard wouldn't take well to that.

Expectedly, Bankotsu's eyes trailed to Sesshoumaru's figure every now and then. Sesshoumaru himself didn't mind. He was too busy contemplating the recent events of his life. He wasn't one to believe in fate, and coincidences were something he held no regard for. So how was it that this woman would appear before him twice in only so many days?

She was a Higurashi, for God's sake, something he never would have expected from the scene in the flower shop. Then again, he was in an incredibly similar, if not the same, situation as she was. He doubted she recognized him from the one word he spoke, and he had yet to announce to the general public what he knew.

He wondered if he was going to keep the promise. He was a man of his word, after all, but he honestly hadn't thought the need to reveal her secret would ever present itself. He had been satisfied in finding out anything about her in the first place, let alone information like this.

They were seated immediately, the rest of the guests already having had taken their seats in their hosts' absence. InuYasha sat with the rest of them impatiently, but Sesshoumaru could already see the gears in his head turning (who knew he had anything in that brain of his anyway?) and figuring out who these two new mystery figures were. Obviously, the only empty seats left…

"You're Higurashi?" he asked rather bluntly. If he weren't so skilled at hiding his emotions, Sesshoumaru was sure he would have flinched. He briefly wondered why his parents had gone off to go make small talk with other people instead of preventing what he predicted to be one of InuYasha's many social blunders.

Instead of taking offense as Sesshoumaru expected, however, she let out a light tinkling laugh and bowed her head slightly, looking down as if embarrassed.

"That I am," she replied. "But you can call me Kagome."

With that, she raised her head with a smile as her guard led her to her seat, leaving InuYasha somewhat gaping and flustered.

Sesshomaru was extremely intrigued by the turn of events. If he hadn't known better, he never would have guessed that she was blind. Every one of her actions helped conceal that fact, and they all seemed incredibly natural.

At the head table (on the second floor, one that gave the ones seated the whole view of the room) sat the Yamada family, Kagome, and Bankotsu. Everyone took their seats as the meal began to be served. As luck would have it, Kagome was seated right between Sesshoumaru and Bankotsu. She wasn't sure what exactly it was between them, but she could literally feel the tension. It was incredibly uncomfortable.

As an attempt to make small talk, Kagome asked, "Have you two met before?"

Bankotsu glanced at Sesshoumaru, who did the same. Sesshoumaru didn't answer, while Bankotsu gave a curt "no" in reply. Kagome tried not to deflate.

She wanted to say more, but the first dish was being served. Bankotsu gave a small shake of his head and muttered, "Drink your soup, Kagome."

To her credit, Kagome didn't even hesitate to take hold of the spoon, gracefully leaning over just enough to put the spoonful of soup in her mouth without spilling. She repeated the action a couple more times before putting the spoon down, presumably to talk.

"There, done. Happy now?" she asked in what one would call a petulant tone if only it hadn't come out of Kagome's mouth. It wouldn't have surprised him if he turned to find her tongue sticking out as well. Bankotsu couldn't help it, chuckling a bit before sipping a couple of spoonfuls of soup as well.

The elder of the Yamada brothers couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, the only outward sign of his surprise at her adeptness in doing simple things that would normally be a struggle for those with sight impairments. How in the world had she done that? He kept himself from staring too much, however, as her guard continued to eye him suspiciously.

"So you're the daughter, eh?" InuYasha asked, managing to at least swallow his soup before speaking.

"We've managed to establish that fact, InuYasha," Sesshoumaru spoke up blandly.

InuYasha made a face at his half brother before continuing before continuing, "How come I've never seen you before then? I mean, this is a pretty small social circle, so we've basically all known each other since we were small, y'know? But you look to be around the same age as me, and we've never met."

Crudely put, but accurate enough, Sesshoumaru supposed. He had wondered about the circumstances of her appearance at this particular party. Already, he could hear the chatter amongst the others, speculating who the girl eating with the Yamada's was. Bankotsu already gave off an aura that screamed bodyguard to anyone who cared to notice, so he was disregarded.

"Well, I'm certainly legitimate enough, I suppose, if that was what you were wondering," she said, clearly amused. Her eyes went to him (or what Sesshoumaru correctly assumed to be the direction his voice was coming from), and she gave him a friendly smile. "My parents were extremely protective of me, so I've been somewhat sheltered my entire life."

They considered her answer, vague as it was, and InuYasha (as well as every other eavesdropper) seemed to accept it.

"I've met your parents once or twice before, I think. If that helps at all," she added. She could feel the doubt swirling in the air, and she needed to make this work. A Higurashi would accept no less.

"Really?" InuYasha asked, knowing this to be true--otherwise how else would his mom have known the Higurashi's had a daughter?--but wanting to hear the events from Kagome's mouth herself.

"Oh, you don't want to hear about that. Just one of those random events of childhood where you run away from evil, scheming piano teachers that think you might become the next Mozart if only you would just _apply _yourself, and--"

InuYasha let out a sharp bark of laughter, finding it hilarious at how she seemed to get so infuriated at something that had happened _years _ago. She was beginning to rant, and realizing this herself, let out another of her tinkling laughs.

"Ugh, we've all been there," InuYasha agreed with a disgusted noise, eliciting another laugh out of Kagome.

"She ran, quite literally, into your father and begged so desperately for us to hide her that it was the end of that," spoke up his mother from across the table.

"Did you do it?"

Here, Kagome grinned, bit into a slice of bread, and swallowed before answering, "It was two hours before anyone found me."

InuYasha grinned back at her, but under his breath, Bankotsu said, "You had the whole house searching for you. We nearly thought it was another kidnap attempt!"

Kagome said nothing in reply, going back to focusing on the food. In fact, everyone at the table was incredibly famished, and the conversation was dropped. Small talk, however, took its place. They chattered about inane things like the weather, the stocks, any new events with their old friends. Kagome gave her opinion every now and then, and the meal passed quickly.

From across the room, Kagome could hear a small jazz band playing music, the lead singer crooning about his lost love.

"Bankotsu! Bankotsu, there's a _band_!"

Her companion couldn't help but smile at her antics. Kagome loved music, and when she had the chance, she loved to dance as well. Where she failed in piano, she excelled in dance. Expression through movement was right up her alley, after all. And, well, the Higurashi's _had _told her to leave a good impression on everyone, hadn't they?

With that, he stood up, scraping his chair a bit so that she could hear his movements.

"Well then, may I have this dance?" he asked, ever the gentlemen. He held out his hand and as she moved her own hand, he met her halfway, grasping it gently. It seemed perfectly natural. This was merely years of practice paying off. That plus the fact that she trusted him so fully that she didn't even consider the possible ramifications of their actions if she had missed his hand. She trusted him to be there for her, and he was proud of that.

Hand in hand with Bankotsu, Kagome stood up from her chair as well, excusing herself. She bowed lightly towards the general table before dashing off with her guard, mock whispering, "I can't pass up this opportunity. Bankotsu loves dancing."

Everyone laughed, already knowing that Kagome was indeed the one to instigate the activity. Her cheer and good humor put everyone at ease, and they found themselves liking the girl without any conscious effort. The ones who hade a conscious to dislike her, however, had a hard time doing so. But they tried, and it was the effort that counted.

The dance floor downstairs and in front of the stage was empty. The lights flashed on the tile occasionally, and the singer was grateful for the couple that walked towards him. He knew that the people at the tables were listening to him to some extent, but it still felt weird with no audience. With these two dancers, however, he could sing unperturbed. He thrived with an audience.

For her part, Kagome managed not to stumble all the way to the dance floor, and she applauded herself for that. It wasn't until she stepped onto the actual tile that she realized no one else was dancing. Would that be strange, she wondered, the newcomer and her bodyguard dancing while no one else was?

As if sensing her hesitation, Bankotsu nudged her forward encouragingly.

"It's just us here. More freedom to do as you please without worrying about knocking people over," he teased.

It worked, just as he had intended, even though Kagome knew he was trying to cheer her up. It worked.

The band started up a new song, a jaunty jazz tune this time. Her hips swayed to the beat, and all she had to say was, "I love swing dancing," for them to step into action. Quite literally.

As her dance partner since childhood, Bankotsu had (unwillingly) learned all the steps along with Kagome. They knew each other best, and she had faith in his ability to lead her. He wondered if she could feel all the eyes on them, but judging from her wide smile, maybe not. He held out his arm, still holding her hand, for her to spin into him, keeping his steps light.

She was a wonder in heels. The dramatic aspect of the dance held people captive, he knew, and though they wouldn't be doing anything difficult, like flips (she was wearing a dress, after all), the theatrical arm movements had the guests cheering them on. Eventually, other couples wandered onto the dance floor as well, older couples able to enjoy and remember when they themselves used to dance like this.

Every time she spun, his breath would catch, and though there were other dancers on the floor now, he couldn't see anything but her. She was in her element here, sure in her movements and abilities. He didn't want this moment to end.

Of course, he had to jinx it, didn't he? The song ended with the guests applauding and cheering. He kept her hand in his as she smiled at everyone, bowing her head a little each time in thanks. Another song started up immediately, however, this time a slow paced ballad.

"Now this is for the ones who need a little break after all that action," the vocalist said jokingly into the microphone.

Just as he was about to ask her what she wanted to do, someone else stepped up. Damn it.

"Would you mind if I cut in?" asked the insufferably arrogant--

"I wouldn't mind at all," Kagome answered with a little surprise. "I'm sorry, what was your name again?"

"Yamada Sesshoumaru," Bankotsu replied with barely contained scorn.

The elder Yamada brother ignored him, smoothly pulling Kagome over to him with one sweep of his hand.

"We shouldn't be too long," Kagome reassured him as she carefully walked away, misinterpreting Bankotsu's annoyance at Sesshoumaru for annoyance at being unable to take care of her, lest she blow her own cover.

With her right hand in his left, Kagome disappeared into the crowd of swaying bodies with _Sesshoumaru_, of all people. He wasn't sure what it was he disliked about the man, but he had always trusted his intuition. It had never failed before, so he'd be keeping a close eye on this…Sesshoumaru.

Unaware of her guard's dark thoughts of the man she was with, she placed her free hand on his shoulder (and my, he was tall!) as he settled his own hand on her waist. They were still hand in hand, slowly swaying to the music and dancing the simple steps. _1, 2, 3...1, 2, 3..._

"Higurashi Kagome," he murmured with something akin to wonder in his voice.

"I already told you that you can call me Kagome," she admonished.

"On the contrary, you told InuYasha that he can call you by your given name. Seeing as how we have yet to speak one on one, well…"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Yamada Sesshoumaru, was it? Well, you can call me Kagome too. I have to ask, though, have we met before? I know that you and Bankotsu say you haven't, but your voice…I just can't place it."

Sesshoumaru didn't reply. Instead, he watched as she determinedly looked forward, his steps leading hers. She didn't seem as if she was blind at all. If not for her penchant of avoiding eye contact, he would have said that she was a perfectly normal woman. His voice, eh?

"I think you would remember my face, if anything, Kagome," he said at last.

He felt her tense in his arms, her expression frozen on her face. "I…well, I don't think I've ever seen you. Maybe just heard your voice."

"It's entirely probable, though seeing me would be more of a normal, everyday occurrence. I can _promise _you that."

If possible, the girl in his arms became even more rigid as realization dawned upon her. It was a feat that she remained dancing.

"You…you're. There was. You. The man in the store. It was you," she whispered. "You _know_."

"Hn."

"Do they know? Your family?"

"No," he answered, disgust coloring his words, "I'm a man of my word, if nothing else."

He felt her relax, unsure of how to act now that she was smiling at him like that.

"Thank you," she said softly. "This is really a coincidence, isn't it? To think I would meet you, of all people, again so soon."

He sincerely hoped she wasn't going to start spewing some asinine female drivel about fate and the like.

Another couple bumped into them, and Kagome squeezed his hand a little tighter to regain her balance. The couple apologized with a laugh, and Sesshoumaru smiled back at them with what he hoped was devoid of all the annoyance he felt.

He turned back to his dance partner, surprised when she said something completely off topic.

"You practice with a sword, don't you?"

_What? _

Without waiting for a reply, she adjusted their hands a little to gently touch a callus on his hand.

"This here. A callus could mean a number of things, but having it on this particular point on your hand…well. I could be wrong," she said nonchalantly, but to him, it was a challenge.

"When I have the time," he admitted grudgingly, "I'm known to pick up a sword. Recreational purposes, really."

He found it irritating that she was correct in her assumptions, and it was even more irritating to watch her lips curve into a little satisfied smile.

Out of nowhere, however, Bankotsu reappeared at Kagome's side, deftly pulling her hand out of his. The song had ended without his notice, and the couples on the dance floor were slowly dissipating. He spared the guard an annoyed glance before stepping back.

"It was a pleasure, Kagome."

"Without a doubt. I'm sure we'll be seeing more of each other," she replied without missing a beat.

Another song started up, and other corporate big shots as well a few young men vied for her attention. She obliged a couple of the elder men (Bankotsu assured her that they were gentle and grandfatherly), seeming to enjoy every single dance. They talked while dancing, with Kagome answering simple questions about herself.

Mission accomplished, it seemed. Sesshoumaru suspected that for Kagome to appear at one of the most attended parties of year meant that she was making a debut of some sort. Hmm. It worked. Rumors mixed with a hint of facts were circling already, and the adults were impressed with how she carried herself. She'd been established in their circle.

He caught Bankotsu's eye again and smirked at him. Just like a cat, his hackles shot up. Sesshoumaru suspected that if he were a cat, hissing wouldn't be that far away either. It was just as amusing hassling this Bankotsu as it was to irritate InuYasha.

Speaking of InuYasha, there he was. The flirt. He was chatting it up with Kagome, and she was laughing at him. It was interesting how Bankotsu viewed InuYasha as harmless whilst Sesshoumaru screamed danger at him. Well, he did need more amusement in his life.

They'd be seeing more of each other, eh? With half his mind focused on what the politician was telling him, he thought of just how much more he would see this Higurashi. On some level, she fascinated him, and though he wasn't necessarily the curious type…well, he never _did _back down from a challenge.

--tsuzuku--

Okay, this chapter is a little longer than usual, but I hope it was alright. GAH. I feel weird picking it up again after nearly 3 years. D: I've just fallen out of the fandom (I don't even know how this series ends! Blasphemy, isn't it?), but I don't want to leave any stories unfinished. Not really, anyway. And that little thing up there about Kagome reading fanfic (lol) was a little shameless plug of Joisbishmyoga's amazing stories The Best Defense and A Good Offense. Seriously, I could read and r-re-read these two fics over and over and over again. Which I did. And have done. So. Yes. Um, please let me know what you think of this chapter. And I plan to update on a more regular basis! Not weekly or anything like that…but more regular than once every couple of years. Thank you for reading! Oh, and music consumes my life. As well as college.

Thank you to all the reviewers. Your comments are really encouraging, and I hope you're still here. Please let me know if there are any errors!


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